Galicia faces a stalemate over who should manage its coastal public property, with the state insisting that no powers should be transferred without legislative reform. The situation mirrors similar disputes in other autonomous communities, where coastal planning remains a centralized remit. At stake is more than just administrative control; it is the authority to oversee more than 2,000 kilometers of coastline, including the prerogatives tied to coastal zones and their uses.
Multiple open conflicts exist between the Xunta and the national government over coastline management. Debates focus on the terms and expiry of concessions, currently capped at 75 years, and on how general rules governing coastal use may be modified. Changes in coastal use threaten the status of thousands of homes and businesses, particularly within conservation easement areas that run roughly 100 meters inland in rural zones and about 20 meters inland in urban areas.
The push for full jurisdiction over Galicia’s maritime-terrestrial public domain is underscored by a legal pathway opened last year and supported by parliamentary groups from three parties that signed a March 2021 agreement in the Galician Assembly to pursue this transfer.
In discussions with ministry representatives, the Xunta described a sense of goodwill while contending that the current Statute of Autonomy does not authorize new coastal planning functions without prior legislative reform. A government spokesperson in Congress characterized the stance clearly: Galicia cannot take on additional coastal planning functions absent new special powers not foreseen in the statute, noting the examples of Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Catalonia, and the Balearic Islands as reference points for the needed reforms.
No new transfers
Officials in Galicia have explained that the region already handles certain coastal competencies, such as discharge control, yet argue that broadening these powers under the existing Statute of Autonomy is not feasible. The region has gone thirteen years without any new transfers, a timeline that highlights the symbolic and practical weight of the request.
The Galician government’s aim is to secure full jurisdiction over the maritime-terrestrial public domain, which encompasses thousands of buildings including schools, wastewater facilities, health centers, and infrastructure tied to ports like shellfish operations and other port-related properties. Galicia contends that direct control over the coastline would offer greater certainty to businesses operating within the maritime-industrial complex and help unify regulatory standards across concessions.
Granting coastal management powers to Galicia would also address a long-standing friction with the central government. The discourse intersects with climate-related rules enacted last year, which set an upper limit of 75 years for the continued presence of buildings or factories within the maritime-terrestrial public space. Under those rules, a property owner holding a 50-year concession can request an additional 25-year extension, but such extensions are not guaranteed. Those with a 75-year concession face eviction when the period ends. The Xunta estimates that thousands of structures and dozens of companies could be affected, including canneries and treatment facilities. The government’s review of these provisions prompted the Xunta to take the matter to the Constitutional Court, which has agreed to hear the appeal.
Another clash centers on the general arrangement of coastal rights and the restrictions on changing the use of buildings located within inland conservation easement zones. This prohibition stands in opposition to Xunta’s plans to repurpose hundreds of historically or culturally significant buildings for tourism, aiming to give new life to 361 structures while preserving their heritage value.
The overall dispute reflects a broader debate about regional governance, economic development, and sustainable coastal management in Spain. For Galicia, the outcome will influence how long-standing property rights are maintained, how future coastal development is regulated, and the balance between local initiative and national oversight. In the view of the Xunta, greater local control would translate into more predictable planning, stronger protection for coastal livelihoods, and a clearer framework for investments tied to the maritime sector. For the central government, the path to reform remains inseparable from constitutional and legal processes that ensure uniform standards and national coherence across Spain’s diverse coastlines. The conversation continues to unfold in regional and national forums, with implications that extend to property owners, municipalities, and coastal industries alike. (Attribution: Xunta de Galicia; Gobierno de España; Parliament records)